Search for Ways to Develop Regional Book Culture

Abstract

The objective of the article is to give an overview of the materials of the Public Hearings on the problems of books and reading «The Reader: Global Challenges and Personal Stories» held on March 24, 2023 in Novosibirsk in the frames of the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference “Homo legens in the Past and Present”. They brought together about 30 representatives of the government and administration, book theorists and practitioners, heads of higher educational institutions, representatives of the library community, and public organizations. There were identified three directions for the development of the regional infrastructure for reading: the first one – related to the organization of regional studies of books and reading, search for tools to improve the quality of reading; the second – associated with the development of publishing (book, magazine) and bookselling practices, growth of their influence/ impact on the socio-cultural environment; the third direction – defining libraries as centers for organizing reading and formulating the problems of training library specialists. Resulting the Public Hearings, the resolution was prepared for the heads of legislative and executive authorities of the region with proposals for the development of the regional infrastructure for reading. The general outcome was the realization of the need to provide comprehensive support to all actors of book culture (writers, artists, publishers, critics, literary scholars, journalists and the media, bookstores, libraries and readers) and to strengthen partnerships, state, public and business initiatives in all areas of book business.